While most of us would prefer to move into our own place as soon as possible and put the days of flatmates behind us, there are some aspects to houseshare life that make it worthwhile. At least for the time being.
Flexibility
If you were to rent or buy your own flat, then you would be tied to that place for much longer than if you had joined a houseshare. Standard rental AST agreements are usually at least 6 months long, and in some places like London it is not uncommon for contracts to be a minimum of 12 or 18 months. Depending on the area you’re looking in you may be able to negotiate a shorter initial contract length with the landlord of a houseshare and switch to a rolling month contract early on. You may also be able to reduce the amount of notice you need to give when you intend to leave the property.
This flexibility is ideal if you’re working a temporary job while actively looking for your dream opportunity in areas that would require you to move house again, if you plan to take time out to go travelling in the next year or so, or if your family circumstances are such that you may be required to move back home at short notice.
Simplicity
Sometimes you can find rooms to rent where all the bills are included in the weekly/monthly rent payment or billed by usage later on by the landlord. This way you don’t have to set up your own accounts with each separate utility provider. You may also find it easier to budget for expenses since you would know what your outgoings are likely to be and when.
Houses rented by the room are usually also let fully furnished, but check before you agree to renting anywhere. This saves you the cost, time and hassle of moving your own furniture into and out of a property.
Company
Even those who prefer their own company need to see another human every once in awhile, even if it is for 5 minutes every couple of days or so when you go to get something from the kitchen.
Assuming you get along well with your housemates, you also have a social life and entertainment steps away from your bedroom door. No leaving the flat involved!
Saving money
Running your own flat can be expensive, even for a studio sized apartment. By joining a houseshare you have the opportunity to save your money up for something else, such as a mortgage deposit or a travelling fund.
Learning
You can learn a lot from your housemates. Cooking is the obvious skill that tends to get passed around a household as recipes are shared between housemates. But there’s also the opportunity for learning new languages and about foreign countries in multicultural houseshares.
